China will allow eligible coffee bean imports from all 53 African countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing beginning July 20, 2026, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) has announced.
The move marks a significant expansion of market access for one of Africa’s key agricultural exports. According to the GAC, coffee beans, an important agricultural commodity and a major economic driver in many African nations, are the second category of African agricultural products to receive full quarantine access to the Chinese market after dried chillies.
Several African countries, including Ethiopia and Burundi, have already obtained approval to export coffee beans to China. Official data also show that Mauritius, Angola, Togo, Guinea, Liberia, and Sao Tome and Principe are among the countries that have submitted applications to access the market.
The GAC said the decision follows a comprehensive assessment of coffee bean production systems across Africa and the effectiveness of pest-risk management frameworks. As a result, China has introduced unified phytosanitary requirements, replacing the previous system under which individual countries were required to negotiate separate bilateral quarantine agreements.
The new framework is expected to simplify and accelerate market access procedures for African exporters.
However, industry stakeholders noted that full quarantine access does not exempt shipments from inspection requirements. All coffee bean exports must still comply with the standards outlined in GAC Announcement No. 68 of 2026.
The GAC official added that it will continue to implement upgraded “green channel” facilitation measures to bring more high-quality, safe African agricultural and food products to the Chinese market.
